Chili pepper 'Tepin'

Capsicum annuum 'Tepin'

The small, round Chili pepper 'Tepin' is a delightfully balanced chilli of delicious flavour and manageable ferocity, known for being really hot, but for its heat passing quickly.The tepin chilli is one of the oldest wild chillis, and is so called the "mother of all peppers," . Attempts to cultivate have proven to be problematic, so its fruit hand-picked from wild plants are well known and used throughout the culinary world.

Planning

Difficulty

Moderate

Flowering time

Summer

Fruiting time

Summer, Autumn

Harvesting

Harvest 60-70 days after planting. Most tepin chilles are harvested by hand from native plants which can grow 50 years old!

Propagation

Seed

Seeds should be started indoors 8–10 weeks before the last Spring frost. It can be directly seeded in areas with a long, warm growing season.

Special features

Crop rotation

Medium Feeder

Attracts birds

The fruit is a favorite snack of wild birds.

Drought resistant

It’s very drought tough, though in dry hot summers, it welcomes supplemental water.

Pot plant

Plant can be grown in large container with good drainage holes.

Geography

Origin

North America, Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico.

Natural climate

Warm to hot

Environment

Light

Full Sun

Soil moisture

Moist

Soil type

Loam

Soil PH preference

Alkaline

Frost hardiness

Tender

Uses

Medicinal

Fruit serves as natural painkiller, antibacterial agent and traditionally used to relieve stomach disorders, liniment for rheumatism, and to cure headaches.

Edible

The fruits are most often sun-dried and added to soft cheeses and cream sauces, or pickled with wild oregano, garlic and salt to be used as a condiment.